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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27214708">A souvenir from Winterfell</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fannyfieser/pseuds/fannyfieser'>fannyfieser</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe, Epilogue, Eventual Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, F/M, Falling In Love, Fights, Love, Married Arya Stark/Gendry Waters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:28:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,925</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27214708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fannyfieser/pseuds/fannyfieser</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>On her sea voyage after the defeat of Daenerys, Arya makes a surprising discovery. Her actions of the long night change her life once again completely, sending her spiralling back to Winterfell. But will she have to face the consequences alone or will Gendry fight this very different battle by her side?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arya Stark &amp; Bran Stark, Arya Stark &amp; Gendry Waters, Arya Stark &amp; Sansa Stark, Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Arya Stark/Sansa Stark, Jaime Lannister &amp; Brienne of Tarth, Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth, Jon Snow &amp; Arya Stark, Jon Snow &amp; Arya Stark &amp; Bran Stark &amp; Rickon Stark &amp; Robb Stark &amp; Sansa Stark, Jon Snow/Arya Stark, Jon Snow/Sansa Stark, Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>75</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A souvenir from Winterfell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They had been sailing for three weeks when she first noticed it. This feeling in her throat. She couldn’t control it. It felt like she had eaten either an insane amount of sweet stuff or something wrong. She stood by the biggest tower when she felt she couldn’t keep it in any longer. She hurried to the railing and threw her head over it. She smelled the ocean breeze as she breathed heavily, mouth opened. For a moment, she felt better.<br/>
“Yer alright, m’lady?”, a soldier said as he passed by.<br/>
“Yes, thanks, I’m good.”, but just as she spoke, the revolting feeling returned. And before she could think about what to do, she vomited over the railing and into the crystal clear water. Gross. She threw up again. And again. And she couldn’t stop for another hour. A few of the men had got worried about her by now.<br/>
“D’you want us ter stop for today, m’lady?”<br/>
She gazed up at the blue sky and blinked at the sun which had only just arisen.<br/>
“No. Continue. And stop calling me that.”<br/>
“Aye, m’lady.. ugh… ser… ugh… for fucks’ sake…”, one of the men muttered before he turned to go.<br/>
And so they continued to sail west.<br/>
But no day passed without Arya throwing up at some point in the morning. When she was asked about her health, she kept blaming it on sea sickness. She herself was rather surprised. She had already travelled by ship a few times over the course of her life but such troubles had never occurred. One evening, her closest advisor, Ser Plenn, came to see her in her chambers. They discussed the next steps on their journey. Just as he was about to get up and leave, he thought for a second and said:<br/>
“You know, Arya… I once knew a girl… She was just like you…”<br/>
“Really? Well that’s interesting…”, Arya didn’t know what to do with that information.<br/>
“Yes, yes quite interesting. She lived in the same town where I was growing up. She was a few years older than me. When I was about fifteen, she… she started throwing up in the mornings… just like you.”<br/>
“Poor girl.”<br/>
“Yes, yes, rather poor. However, a few months later, she wasn’t alone anymore, you know?”<br/>
“Mmm?”<br/>
“Well, half a year or so later, she bore a girl. A very pretty, blond haired baby girl.”<br/>
“Are you suggesting..?”<br/>
“I don’t know Arya… could it be possible? I mean, have you..?”<br/>
“I’ll think about it. Thank you, Ser Plenn.”, she said and shoved him out the door.<br/>
That night, she lay awake thinking about what Plenn had said. Technically, strictly technically, yes, it would be possible. Thinking about it, she hadn’t bled in months. But that couldn’t be, could it? After all, it only happened once, rather quickly. No, it couldn’t be… she told herself as she fell asleep.<br/>
However, the sickness didn’t stop. In fact, it got so bad, that there were days when she couldn’t leave her chambers at all. Eventually, roughly two months after their departure, Arya made a decision: with this ongoing sickness, she could in no way continue sailing, that would be nothing but irresponsible. With a heavy heart, she ordered her men to turn the ship around and sail homewards. Even though they took the fastest route, they didn’t reach land until one month later. Then, Arya travelled another two weeks before finally arriving at Winterfell. Sansa was rather taken by surprise when she saw Arya riding through the gate. But as soon as Arya told her her wellbeing was the reason for her unexpected return, she didn’t question it any further. After Arya had settled into her childhood chambers, Sansa knocked on her door.<br/>
“Come in!”<br/>
Sansa stepped through the door and Arya took a bow.<br/>
“Oh please Arya, stop that!”<br/>
“Well, you are the queen in the North, and I bow my queen.”<br/>
“Oh c’mon… It sounds strange, doesn’t it? Queen in the North?”<br/>
“hmm… I mean it sounds unfamiliar, but thats who you are. And I can’t think of anyone better suited to rule over the North.”<br/>
“Thank you…”, Sansa said, smiling, before she paused. After a while, she asked: “So how about you, what leads you back here? Health problems, you say?”<br/>
“Uhm yes… I’ve been experiencing quite a lot of morning sickness over the last few months.”<br/>
“Morning sickness, how come?”<br/>
“To be honest, I don’t really know… I actually wanted to go see a maester tomorrow.”<br/>
“You do know what that might be a symptom for, don’t you?”<br/>
“Yes, I know… Ser Plenn told me about it.”<br/>
“But you haven’t… you know what, have you?”<br/>
Arya remained silent.<br/>
“Oh wait… yes… yes you have, haven’t you?”, Sansa asked excitedly.<br/>
Arya gave her a tiny smirk.<br/>
“When? Or even more important… with whom??”<br/>
Her sister took her time before she answered. “The night of the battle of Winterfell.”<br/>
“But… but you didn’t sleep with the hound, did you?”<br/>
“For gods sake, no! What do you think of me?!”<br/>
“So who was it then?”, she asked, giddily.<br/>
Arya closed her eyes and asked: “You know that guy, Gendry?”<br/>
“You mean the new Lord of Storms End, the Baratheon?”<br/>
“Yeah, that’s him. Well… we kind of have a history.”<br/>
“What do you mean, you have a history?”<br/>
“Umm, you know how I fled Kings Landing?”<br/>
“Uhhh I guess so…?”<br/>
“We fled together. And I pretended to be a boy but he soon figured out that I wasn’t. But he didn’t say anything. We travelled together for a long time before we were captured by the Brotherhood without Banners. I asked him to come with me to Robb, but he wanted to stay and smith for the Brotherhood. Before he could do that, he was sold to the red woman and I thought I’d never see him again.”<br/>
“But you did.”<br/>
“Yes. And it was… it was just like then. We went on just were we left off…”<br/>
“So where did you leave off?”<br/>
“As friends. I mean I was a little girl, what else would we have been?”<br/>
“Don’t ask me, I wasn’t there.”<br/>
“Yeah right. However, it was also sort of… different I guess. I mean I’d always liked him and at first, we just hit it off really well but then in the hours before the battle, I realised that, if there was anything I really wanted to do… I wanted to be with him.”<br/>
“Well, thats cute. But cheesy. But cute.”, Sansa chuckled.<br/>
“Oh shut up.”, Arya murmured, glancing down at the floor.<br/>
“And did anything happen afterwards?”<br/>
“The battle..?”<br/>
“Obviously, yes. But after the battle I mean.”<br/>
“Well, after he was legitimised, I was in the yard, shooting a few arrows. He joined me. And then…”<br/>
“Yes?”<br/>
“So…uhm… he… he proposed to me.”<br/>
Sansa spit out the sip of ale she had just taken from the goblet-“He did- he did what?!”<br/>
“He told me about how he was legitimised but how none of that meant anything to him if he couldn’t share it with me. Then he asked me to be his wife, the lady of storms end.”<br/>
“wait- what is happening? Are you telling me he proposed to you?!”<br/>
“Yeah… thats literally what I told you a minute ago.”<br/>
“But Arya… thats amazing, isn’t it?”<br/>
“I guess…”<br/>
“So what did you do then?”<br/>
“I kissed him. And then I told him that any lady would be lucky to have him but that I wasn’t a lady.”<br/>
“You rejected him?”<br/>
“Yes”<br/>
“But… but why? To me it sounded like you are bloody fucking much in love with that Baratheon boy!”<br/>
“Yeah… yeah I was. But the thing is, I was not able to imagine being a lady, living in a castle,  ruling… not being free.”<br/>
“Just a second… you just said you WERE in love with him- aren’t you anymore?”<br/>
“I… I dont know. I haven’t seen him in forever.”<br/>
“Well…”Sansa said and paused for a while “You will soon though. I invited him a few weeks ago. Theres going to be a grand official feast and he’ll stay here for a few days. He should be here in a month or so.”<br/>
“Wait- you did what?”</p><p>Suddenly, other issues were no longer too important to Arya. She was a mess. She didn’t know at all what to think about all of it. How in only a few weeks her life had changed completely. </p><p>However, it took another three weeks to actually realise how much it had really changed. She hadn’t bled in months. Instead, she had grown a small bump a the bottom of her belly. Until now, nobody had been able to see it when she wore her usual trousers and longer jacket with a belt around her waist. For her it had been visible for a while. She saw it when she got undressed at night to take a bath. She also noticed her usually not too present breasts to be a little more existent. The sickness in the mornings hadn’t stopped but it had gotten a bit better. So one week before Gendrys estimated arrival, the inevitable came. As she got dressed in the morning, after she had put on her underwear, she wanted to close her trousers but they wouldn’t, no matter how hard she tried.<br/>
“Sansaaaaa”, she cried out.<br/>
Sansa arrived in a few seconds time.</p><p> </p><p>She first spotted him when she glanced over the railing above the grand hall. There, quite a few people had gathered to chat before dinner. They stood together in little groups. In a trio with two of her counselors, she spotted Sansa. She let her gaze register the room, she wasn’t ready to face the people yet. Ever since she had returned to winterfell, she had tried to keep a low profile. Partly, because of what she wanted to keep to herself -and Sansa and her chambermaids- and partly, because she had needed time to figure out, what she was going to do with her life and most importantly, find out, who she was. She looked up to the opposite side of the room and spotted her reflection in a mirror. At first she couldn’t recognise herself. Her hair fell in waves down her shoulders and reached almost over breasts. Half of it was tied up at the back of her head. However, not in her usual knot, but in artistic braids and some shorter strands of hair framed her face. That might have been a strange sight, but far not the strangest there was to see. The dress she wore was long sleeved, low cut and tight until just under her breasts. Then, it fell to the floor freely and there was lots of fabric around the stomach area, hiding what had to be hidden. It was beautifully embroidered with wolfs and swords and there may or may not have been one or the other baby stag among them, only visible to those who knew them there. The blue-green-ish colour of the dress complimented her eyes perfectly, the seamstress had done a good job. Arya looked truly breathtaking. Breathtaking in a sense of a highborn girl, a lady. But she didn’t really feel like herself.<br/>
Her gaze left the mirror and moved to the hall beneath her again. And thats when she saw him. Well, at least she figured it must be him. A lean but muscular man walked into the room, a thick cloak, seamed with fur, swiftly bouncing on and off the floor as he unhesitatingly made his way to her sister. Underneath the cloak, he wore a tight turquoise velvet jacket with a high collar, embroidered with golden thread. His face looked relaxed but he beamed with authority. Soft stubble had made its way to his face and he no longer had the buzz cut but wore his hair short on the side of his head and the hair at the top of it was longer, a few strands slightly falling into his forehead. He seemed confident yet humble. In general, he had this certain thing about him that Arya couldn’t really define. Lordship had grown on him.<br/>
She watched the people below her for another few minutes until she realised she couldn’t put it off any longer and made her way down the steps. At first, nobody really paid attention to her. Then, when she was already content that she had managed to slip into the hall relatively unnoticed, a north man looked up to her. He then touched his companion on the shoulder and gestured up to her.<br/>
“Is it… nahh it cant be”, one of them murmured.<br/>
“But she does lewk quite a lot like Lady Arya, doesn’t she?”, the other responded.<br/>
By the time she had reached the bottom of the steps, a good third of the people in the room had noticed her. Shyly, she glanced onto the floor as she walked through the hall, deliberately avoiding their gazes. Panic had risen in her. She couldn’t figure out what to do as her instincts told her to flee. But that was impossible, now, that she had drawn attention to herself. She kept her eyes on the floor while she hurried through the crowd to where she figured Sansa must be. Just when she thought she had finally made it, she looked up. Her eyes met a turquoise velvet merely a few inches in front of her. Before she could react or do anything else at all, she felt herself bumping into the person. Frantically, she jumped back in surprise, stepped on her dress and fell to the floor.<br/>
Dizzily, she watched as turquoise arms grabbed her under her armpits and lifted her to her feet.<br/>
“Are you alright?”, the person said.<br/>
Arya was confused. The voice seemed familiar but she was still too dizzy to figure out whom it belonged to. Then, her vision was clear again, and it clicked. Gendry.<br/>
“Yeah, I’m okay, uhm… thanks.”<br/>
For a few moments, which felt like an eternity, they stood there, awkwardly, in silence. Not wanting to look him in the eyes she busied herself arranging her dress. Gendry cleared his throat as if he was going to say something when Sansa interrupted them.<br/>
“Well… I think it’s time for dinner. I’ve been looking everywhere for you Arya.”, she looked Arya deep in the eyes, “Why don’t you join me in the Great Hall.”<br/>
Gratefully, Arya took Sansas extended arm and followed her into the hall.<br/>
During dinner, she was sat next to Sansa and some of her advisors, but she didn’t pay much attention to their conversations. She was much more interested in the gazes Gendry threw at her across the table as they ate. It became her game to look at the other and before their eyes could lock, look back at the plate in front of her and pretend she hadn’t been looking. However she couldn’t find the courage to engage in a conversation with him during or walk up to him after dinner. And anyways, her sickness had returned so she gave in to the desire to escape the room. She walked through the door closest to her and without actively thinking about where to go her feet carried her up the cobblestone steps and on to the walls of the castle. She watched the last bit of daylight fade from the sky and studied how tiny white clouds of smoke left her mouth as she breathed. Finally she found a moment to gather her thoughts.<br/>
The moment she had finally calmed down she heard steps approaching her.<br/>
“Oh piss off Sansa! I just can’t right now!”<br/>
But the steps kept on coming and right before they reached her she heard someone chuckling.<br/>
“Well that’s unladylike. Watch your language.”, she heard him say as he stepped beside her.<br/>
“Quite a nice view you got up here, eh?”<br/>
“Breathtaking, isn’t it?”, she said and as her voice cut through the cold air, she shivered.<br/>
Without even thinking twice he took off his cloak and slipped it gently over her shoulders. As he did so, the back of his fingers brushed her skin. He breathed in sharply and deliberately took a step away from her as if he had burned his fingers. The sudden warmth she had felt when he had touched her was stripped from her as she realised why he had done so. She remembered how they had parted the last time and she felt bad for the pain she had inflicted.<br/>
She cleared her throat.<br/>
“Thanks.”<br/>
“No trouble.”<br/>
For the next few minutes they stood beside each other in uncomfortable silence.<br/>
“So…how has lordship been treating you?”<br/>
“Well it could be worse. I was off to a rough start but now I’ve kind of figured it out I guess…”<br/>
“I suppose it can’t much harder than flea bottom, can it?” At that, he chuckled.<br/>
“Yeah you’re right…”<br/>
“I’m always right.”<br/>
“And never short of an answer.” She gave him a smirk and looked into his eyes properly for the first time in months. Even though his appearance had changed quite a bit, his eyes were still the same dreamy blue.<br/>
“But anyways…it seems like a lot has been happening for you too. What I’ve been meaning to ask you all evening; Why for the seven gods sake are you wearing a dress?”<br/>
She glanced down at her robe in surprise and took a minute before she answered. Should she tell him what was keeping her awake at night? It wouldn’t be such a bad moment. After all it was just the two of them and it seemed just like in old times. She could and should do it. But then again she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. So instead she looked up again and said, softly smiling: “ I think it’s Sansas bad influence.” Gendry laughed.<br/>
“Well, it suits you.”<br/>
They kept on chatting until the morning sun made its way onto the horizon. </p><p>Later that morning, Arya woke up happy. For the first time in months nightmares hadn’t haunted her sleep. She was in high spirits when she arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast with Sansa. But as soon as she saw Sansas face her smile faded.<br/>
“What’s wrong?”<br/>
“I don’t know how to tell you this. I’ve just received news.”<br/>
“What’s up? Is anything wrong with Bran or Jon?” Terror started rising in her.<br/>
“No no they’re fine… It’s just…There are a few more guests arriving this evening.”<br/>
“So what?”<br/>
“Well…among them will be Lady Primrose of House Tyrell.”<br/>
“And why is that a reason for such a gloomy look?”<br/>
“Hm…I don’t know how to put this…she is to be the Lady of Storms end.”<br/>
Arya spit out her milk.<br/>
“I’m so sorry Arya. I really didn’t know until this morning. I swear I would have told you if I had known sooner.”<br/>
Arya remained silent still processing what she had heard. Then she pushed back her chair and left the room without another word. Of course he would be engaged by now. How could she have been so stupid. A Baratheon heir to Storms end who was not only handsome but also skilled and witty and most of all really nice wouldn’t stay a bachelor for long. And after all she had rejected him. She didn’t realise that she was crying until she stood before the statue of her father. This stupid stupid pregnancy was making her all emotional over little things. But when she still found tears running down her cheeks one and a half hours later she realised that it wasn’t such a little thing after all.  </p><p>She could barely bring herself to get dressed into her horse riding gown later that day. She couldn’t believe Sansa had convinced her to go on a hunting trip after everything that had happened. When she looked at her reflection she remembered why she didn’t want to be a lady. This just wasn’t her. But she had promised and so she forced herself out of the safety of her room. She had thought herself prepared- she would just sit on her horse, not talk to him and deliberately avoid looking at him- but when she saw him she was ready to cry again. She got on her horse and for the first part of the trip her plan was going really well, until he rode up next to her.<br/>
“Taking it slow today, are we?”, he joked. But she wasn’t in the mood for jokes. For a while nobody talked. Then, she couldn’t stop herself from releasing at least some of her anger. “So I heard your betrothed will be joining us tonight.”, she burst out.<br/>
If he hadn’t been sitting on a horse he would have jumped.<br/>
“Yes…yes, she will.”<br/>
“So…how is she? I suppose she’s very pretty.”<br/>
“Yeah…I suppose she is. Her name is Rosie..ugh…Lady Primrose.” Hearing him calling her by a nickname was like having a knife in her stomach all over again.<br/>
“We were introduced by a mutual friend and it kind of worked. She’s really nice and funny. I think you two will get on well.” With every compliment there was another blow.<br/>
It took all her will power not to turn her horse around and just ride off. Instead, she stayed put and said: “That sounds great…I can’t wait to meet her.”<br/>
When she was finally released and able to escape to her chamber a nasty little voice in her head said:” You did this yourself. It is your own fault. Your child will grow up fatherless only because you were too stubborn to think about his proposal twice.”</p><p>Hours later she was stood in the court yard beside her sister as they awaited the arrival of the entourage of the Baratheon house. Arya had mixed feelings about Gendry not having returned yet. With any luck she wouldn’t have to witness the two lovebirds reunite. The gates opened and about twenty horses and their riders made their way towards them. Then she spotted her. She was hard to miss. Arya was sure she would attract all eyes wherever she went. How could she not? Blonde curls flowed until her elbows, framing her delicate figure. Her long soft-pink velvet cloak was embellished with both roses and stags and fur-lined. Her dress underneath was the same color and very shape hugging. Suddenly Arya felt herself being very unflatteringly dressed. Most distracting, however, was her stunning face. It was glowing and slightly tanned, her eyes were the exact same color as Gendrys apart from a few golden sprinkles. Her full lips were curled into a lovely smile and her cheeks were rosy from the cold. Elegantly she glided from the back of her horse and seemingly levitated towards them. Arya was already annoyed by her effortless and warm behaviour after she had greeted her. Then Sansa left her with “Rosie”.<br/>
“By the way congratulations on your engagement!”, she forced herself to say.<br/>
“Thank you so much. I can still hardly believe it myself.”, her cheeks flushed with excitement making Arya feel sick again, “I have longed to meet you. Gendry has told me so much about you!”<br/>
“Really, has he? Only good things I trust?”<br/>
“Yes he’s told me what an exceptional warrior you are. I am truly in awe of all you did at the battle of Winterfell.”<br/>
“Oh thank you. It feels like ages since that happened…”<br/>
While they were talking Gendry had arrived and now turned around the corner with his men carrying dead game with him. He was cheerfully chatting with a fellow lord when “Rosie” came running towards him and screamed: “My love! How I’ve missed you!” As she threw her arms around him. At first, Gendry looked a little startled but then they shared a sweet kiss. Arya had seen enough. She turned around and thought to herself: “Screw you, you stupid perfect bitch.”<br/>
She didn’t feel Gendrys gaze on her back when she fled back to her chambers.<br/>
As much as she wanted to keep to herself and her gloomy thoughts of her future, she was forced to attend a dinner hosted by Sansa.<br/>
When she found out that Sansa had sat her directly opposite the happy couple, she could’ve killed her.<br/>
“I must say I cannot believe how beautiful you have it here. I mean the forest ist breathtaking and Gendry hasn’t been able to show me much of the castle, but from what I’ve seen it looks absolutely amazing and Gendry has promised me to explore it with me later, haven’t you my love?” Gendry stared at his plate for a moment before sighing and turning his face to her: “Yes sweetheart.” Arya wondered how naive Rosie could be not to notice how Gendry and she had been avoiding each others gazes throughout dinner.<br/>
She was even more astonished when Rosie took Gendrys hand into hers as the evening progressed and the people around them grew louder to tell her in seeming confidentiality:<br/>
“It must have been great growing up here with a lot of siblings. You know, Gendry and I have been thinking about having children of our own soon as well.”<br/>
At this both Gendry and Arya couldn’t help but flinch. Arya was thinking about a positive response while she felt like puking, when Gendry cleared his throat:” Sweetheart don’t you think that’s a matter we should keep to ourselves?”<br/>
“But why? Didn’t you tell me that Arya is like a sister to you?” Arya, who had just taken a sip from her goblet, nearly choked in surprise. “Since when do siblings sleep with each other if they’re not Lannisters?”, Arya thought to herself.<br/>
“I am?”, she said, looking at Gendry. But Gendry wouldn’t look up at her.<br/>
“Rosie, uhm, sweetheart, it’s getting late. Didn’t you want me to show you around the castle?”<br/>
“Oh right! That would be lovely! Arya, dear, would excuse us?”<br/>
Sighing in relief, Arya answered: “Absolutely.” Wishing it was something stronger, she took a sip of her water. </p><p>After that, the dinner progressed rather eventlessly. She stayed for another hour, before making her way up her chambers. She was striding through a hallway, when she spotted the two lovebirds staring out of a window. The moon shone on them like a spotlight. Picture perfect. It made her sick, she couldn’t stop herself and vomited on an ancient carpet.<br/>
“Arya, is that you?”, his deep voice echoed through the room. Panic arose in her, she couldn’t let him see her like this. She grabbed her stained dress and ran as fast as her feet could carry her, crying. Just as she thought she had left everyone behind, a hand grabbed her wrist. Why did he have to have longer legs than her?<br/>
“Arya stop. Are you crying? What’s wrong? Tell me.”, he sounded so concerned. She couldn’t bear hearing the trouble in his voice. She had to tell him. Her words were stuck in her throat. She couldn’t. She couldn’t ruin his happiness twice.<br/>
“Nothing.”, she managed to press out. With that, she wrestled out of his grip and shut the chamber door in front of his face. </p><p>The following three days, she didn’t leave the room. She had Sansa bring her her food and decided to wait until Gendrys departure, estimated for four days later, without their eyes crossing once more. However, Sansa did not approve of her plan.<br/>
“Arya! I’m sorry to say, but you’re starting to smell. And you look pale. This can’t be good for you or the baby. Take a bath and at least a short stroll around the grounds, just to catch a bit of sunlight.”<br/>
Knowing there was no point in arguing, Arya submitted resentfully. After a steaming hot bath, she hushed across the meadow towards the woods, seeking its’ solitude. Sansa was right, the cool air and the smell of the leaves had a reenergising effect on her. Apparently, on the baby as well. It started to kick. Suddenly she spotted Gendrys outline in between the tree trunks, merely a few paces away from her. She tried to pretend to not have seen him and kept on going. Her gaze was focused on a lake in the distance, as she purposefully strode over the uneven ground. Then she felt right foot entangle in a root. She tried to catch herself but wasn’t able to regain her balance. She gave a short shriek as the ground drew closer.<br/>
“Arya!” She felt his strong arms catch her just before her body met the ground. “Are you alright?” Arya didn’t know what to say. She was too distracted by his embrace. All of her so called resolve collapsed in his grip and tears started streaming down her cheeks.<br/>
“Are you hurt? Does you foot ache? What’s wrong?”<br/>
Arya wouldn’t stop sobbing. He grabbed her by the shoulders and gently shook her, as if to wake her from a nightmare.<br/>
“I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me. Arya. What’s wrong? Please tell me.”, his expression seemed almost pleading.<br/>
She couldn’t keep it in anymore.<br/>
“I’m pregnant, isn’t that oblivious?”, it burst out of her. Gendry helplessly took a step back.<br/>
“But…that…that’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you…so…who’s the lucky guy?”, he pressed out, his lips tight.<br/>
“You are one idiot, aren’t you?”<br/>
“What why?”, he appeared truly clueless.<br/>
“It’s yours.”, she turned on the spot and half walked, half ran back to the castle. This time, Gendry didn’t come after her. </p><p> </p><p>Even though Arya was an independent woman, sometimes she needed a shoulder to cry on. She loved Sansa and all, but there were times she just missed her brother. And she had never missed him more than that night. So she decided to write to him.<br/>
…<br/>
I can’t express how I currently feel. I always thought I wanted to be like you. A warrior, brave, strong. I always thought I was these things. But I’m really not. Today I couldn’t even face him without crying. I’m such a coward, I could die of shame. But then again, I couldn’t have done it differently. I just can’t control myself. All I ever think about is either the baby or him. Or both of them. I can’t do this alone. I’m a mess…</p><p>She heard a knock on the door.<br/>
“Come in.”, she sighed. Fast-paced, Gendry walked into the room and straight towards the window, breathing heavily.<br/>
“You know, you said I was an idiot. When in reality it’s you. You are the idiot. Do you know how perfect Rosie is?”<br/>
Arya looked startled but couldn’t say a word.<br/>
“No, of course you don’t because you don’t know her. Well, let me tell you. She behaves like a lady. She’s nice to everyone. She takes me seriously. She’s really good at stitching. She supports me, hell, she’s in awe of me. And have you seen her hair? It looks like liquid gold. She’s the impersonation of grace and politeness. And then again, she’s so smart and witty. She’s everything I ever wanted and more.”<br/>
Arya watched him pace around the chamber, hanging onto his lips as he talked.<br/>
“You on the contrary…you are clumsy and withdrawn and unapproachable and indecisive and stubborn and moody and really not that nice at all. You leave me hanging, you tear my heart into pieces, shit, Arya, you make me crazy. And still my aching heart longs for you. It’s doesn’t matter what I try, not a day passes without my thinking of you. You’re always there. This is all wrong. I can’t believe I’m doing this.”, he took some time to gather himself, “Hell, I broke up my bloody engagement for you. For us. For this.” For a moment the world seemed to stand still. In the meantime Arya took the first breath in what felt like ages.<br/>
“You did that for me?”, she started to smirk.<br/>
“I’ve told you before- nothing is worth anything if you’re not with me.” His expression had softened.<br/>
After a while, he asked; “Can you feel it?”, he took a hesitant step towards her. At first Arya didn’t understand. Then the meaning slowly occurred to her.<br/>
“Come here.”, she said gesturing him to sit down next to her. “Give me your hand.” Carefully he reached out his hand and she took his into hers. It seemed like a bolt of lighting when their hands touched. Slowly she placed his hand on her rounded belly.<br/>
“It kicks!”, he looked at her in absolute amazement. She started smiling. “And you’re really sure it’s mine?”<br/>
“Idiot. Of course it is.”, she chuckled as their bodies began to melt into one and they kissed. </p><p> </p><p>Epilogue (A few months later)</p><p>He made big steps as he aimlessly walked through the halls of the castle. He still couldn’t really grasp that all of this now belonged to him. Just as he still felt out of place when one of the servants bowed as he passed. But in the last months it had gotten better and he had started to make himself at home.<br/>
But none of his insecurities where visible to the outside. All those who saw him, saw him as the young, innovative heir to Storms End, as a born leader. Even though he had been liked by his people before, his qualities as a ruler had only really started to blossom when Arya had joined his side.<br/>
“M’lord keep yer eyes on your path. Don’t you trip with that precious good of yours. Oh he’s getting so big already!” Gendry stopped as her Ser Davos approached him. He looked down on the new yet to familiar weight on his arm and smiled.<br/>
“Good to see you, Davos! Yeah yeah he is, aren’t you little man?” Lovingly he softly removed a few strands of brown hair out of the little ones temple.<br/>
“Grown a beard, I see?”<br/>
“Uhm… yes, I guess. What do you think?”, Gendry asked self-consciously.<br/>
“I think it suits you. Very… mature, you look… like… like…”<br/>
“Like what?”<br/>
“You really look like a father…”<br/>
Gendry flushed a little and little dimples made their way to his cheeks. Beaming, he answered: “I guess I really am, aren’t I?”<br/>
“You are.”, Davos smiled as he patted him on the shoulder turning to go.<br/>
“One last thing Davos.”<br/>
“Yes M’lord?”<br/>
“You haven’t seen Arya, have you?”<br/>
“I only just got back. But you know her, so where do you think she is?”<br/>
“Right.”<br/>
A few moments later he found himself on the gallery overlooking the inner courtyard studying every of Aryas moves as she taught her little army her skills. Effortlessly wielding the weapon he had just made for her through the mild spring air.<br/>
He watched as her curly hair, which she had cut back to shoulder length after giving birth, was caught in the wind. Over two dozen children between the age of 9 and 15 tried to carefully imitate all of her movements. She looked so incredibly fierce as she walked through the pairs of children and devotingly adjusted their moves. He was woken from his thoughts when the baby boy in his arms started chuckling.<br/>
“Oh you like what mummy’s doing?”, Gendry asked as he gazed back at Arya.<br/>
“I’m proud of her too.”, he murmured as he rocked their son in his arms.</p>
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